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Olive-crusted lamb racks with chickpea salad

Name: Olive-crusted lamb racks with chickpea salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 20 pitted kalamata olives; 1/4 cup rosemary leaves; 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil; 2 x 4-cutlet lamb racks, French-trimmed; 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed; 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered; 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, chopped; 1 cup mint leaves; 1 cup basil leaves; Juice of 1 lemon; 150g Persian (marinated) feta (see note), drained, crumbled

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40m

Olive-crusted lamb racks with chickpea salad

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Keep fuss to a minimum with this simple idea that has a wow factor.

20 pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
2 x 4-cutlet lamb racks, French-trimmed
400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
250g punnet cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, chopped
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
150g Persian (marinated) feta (see note), drained, crumbled

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2.

Mix olives, rosemary and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a food processor to form a thick paste.
3.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper and cook racks, one at a time, for 3-4 minutes until browned all over.
4.

Cool slightly, then press the paste onto the meaty side of the lamb. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes for medium-rare (or until done to your liking), then cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest while you make the salad.
5.

Place chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, mint and basil in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil with the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and use to dress the salad. Scatter the salad with the cheese. Halve each lamb rack, then serve with the salad.